Information for parents
Information for parents
As a Police force we are often called to help young people struggling with their teenage years, particularly when this gets to crisis point and so in 2019 I brought together an exceptional group of experts from across Gloucestershire and beyond to discuss what we could do to help young people be more prepared for the challenges life throws at them. We know as adults that sooner or later tough stuff happens in life and we wanted to create a programme that could help young people between the ages of 10-18 feel more prepared to cope with some of those daily challenges.
That programme is called the Boost self-leadership programme for young people. It is offered to all schools in Gloucestershire and is funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Your child is just about to take part in the programme and this booklet is designed to give you a little bit more information about it and some useful questions you might want to ask them in support of their learning.
The programme is called Boost because its designed to do just that – give young people a boost of confidence in the way they handle certain situations whatever their circumstances and whatever their background. It gives them skills for life. It reinforces some they may already know and others they may not have thought about. It is not designed to solve all problems – it is designed to be a boost.
The programme is divided into five modules. More detail is given below.
Emotional regulation
Breathe, regulate, co-regulate, respond
Grounding yourself will help you cope better with stress and emotional situations.
Self-compassion
Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer to your closest friend
Discovering how to be more self-compassionate including speaking as positively to ourselves as we do others.
Building relationships
Nurturing relationships through effective communication
Exploring the different kinds of relationships we have in our lives and how we might improve them through considerate communication and conversations that restore and strengthen them.
Self-care
Strength to rest, reflect and recharge
Increasing awareness of not just the benefit of taking care of our own physical health but our mental wellbeing.
Being resilient
Skillful navigation through challenges, thinking long-term about life
Understanding what it means to be resilient. The role of commitment, practice and your response to failure all play important parts.
We believe the content of this programme is valuable to young people now and for every day of their future as they become adults and take their place in the community.
